Musical dish



Nov. 19, 1957 I. BOTNICK 2,813,446

MUSICAL DISH Filed Oct. 28, 1955 INVENTOR. fPL/A/ BoT/v/CK ATTORNEY United States Patent Office MUSICAL DISH Irlin Botniclt, Cleveland, Ohio Application October 28, 1955, Serial No. 543,469 1 Claim. (Cl. 84-95) This invention relates to food containers and particularly to a musical food container for children.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a food container or dish, for children, that will automatically play a tune when the food originally contained therein is eaten or otherwise removed.

Another object is to provide a device of the type stated that will remain quiet, in the manner of a conventional dish, as long as there is food therein.

A further object is to provide musical dish having a food receptacle that can be easily washed and kept sanitary.

Still another object is to provide a musical dish that is rugged in structure, simple in operation and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification and claim, together with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the musical dish that is the subject of this invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same showing the dish in alternate playing and non-playing positions; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a portion of the device, showing the control plunger in alternate operative and non-operative positions.

Referring more particularly to Figure 1 of the drawing, there is seen the musical dish, broadly indicated by reference numeral 10, that is the subject of this invention.

Reference numeral 11 indicates a hollow case member which serves as a base for the food receptacle or dish 16. The case 11 may be fabricated from any suitable material and in its preferred form is fabricated from spun aluminum because that material is light in weight and non-corrosive in character and therefore easily kept in a clean and sanitary condition.

The case 11 is hollow and has a perimetrical rim 14 that defines a circular cavity within the case, open to the top. The bottom of the case 11 is up-set to form a circular compartment 12 open toward the bottom with a top wall 13 spaced downward from the rim 14 and lying in a plane parallel thereto, as is shown most clearly in Figure 2.

A Swiss music box mechanism 20 of the type having a vaned governor is mounted within the compartment 12 on the under side of the top wall 13 by means of bolts 26. The music-box mechanism is of the conventional type and therefore its operation need not be explained herein as it is well understood. It has a spring motor 21 which drives a cylinder 22 having pegs which pluck the leaves of the musical comb 23 as it is rotated. The order in which the leaves are plucked determines the tune of the music, which may be that of one of the many nursery songs. The song is repeated as long as the cylinder rotates. A governor vane 25 is connected to the music 2,813,446 Patented Nov. 19, 1957 cylinder 22 through suitable gearing and rotates with the cylinder. The vane is geared up to rotate at high speed and low power, so that a slight pressure will stop its rotation and that of its connected music cylinder 22.

Reference numeral 27 indicates a control plunger which is iournaled on a bushing 19 located in the wall 13. The plunger is freely slidable through the wall 13 and is so located that its path of vertical travel crosses the field of rotation of the governor vane 25, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The plunger has a head 29 and is extruded at 30 to limit its upward movement. A coil spring 28 is positioned around the plunger 27 and normally acts to bias the plunger upward as shown in solid line in Figure 3. Sufiicicnt pressure on the plunger 27 to overcome the biasing face of the spring 28 will cause the plunger to move downward through the wall 13 into the compartment 12 to take the position indicated by reference numeral 27a in Figures 2 and 3. It will be clearly evident that in the position 27a the plunger lies in the field of rotation of the vane 25 and will stop its rotation. This in turn stops the rotation of the connected music cylinder 22. Upon release of the pressure on the plunger 27 the plunger will move upward, due to the biasing force of the spring 28, and out of the field of rotation of the vane 25 thereby again permitting the free rotation of the vane and its connected music cylinder.

Reference numeral 16 indicates a food container or dish having a circumferential flange 17. The dish may have a single food area or it may be divided, as illustrated, into separate food compartments by means of partition 18, so that a number of foods may be placed therein without inter-mixing.

The dish may be fabricated from any suitable material and in the preferred form illustrated is made of plastic, since that combines a smooth easily cleaned surface with lightness. The dish 16 is nested with the hollow case 11 in a tilted position, as shown in solid lines in Figure 2, with its flange edge resting on the rim 14 and its body supported on the head 29 of the plunger 27. The strength of the spring 28 is calculated to be such that it will support the plunger 27 and prevent its movement into compartment 12 under the weight of the dish 16 when empty. A cover plate 15 having a hole for the passage of the spring winding shaft and key 24 acts as a closure for the bottom of the compartment 12.

In using the dish to induce a child to eat all the food thereon, so that he may hear the music play, as a reward for eating the plate clean, the following procedure is followed. Food is placed on the dish 16. The added weight of the food causes the supporting plunger 27 to be depressed against the biasing spring 28. The depressed plunger takes the position indicated by the reference numeral 27a, wherein the plunger lies within the field of rotation of the governor vane 25. The spring motor 21 is then wound by means of key 24, but the music cylinder is kept from rotating by the vane 25 which in turn is stopped from rotating by the depressed plunger 27a. The music box mechanism is therefore inoperative and silent.

The removal of all the food from the dish 16 by the eating child relieves the load on the plunger 27a and it is returned to its normal position 27 by the biasing action of the spring 28. This movement of the plunger 27 out of the field of rotation of the vane 25 permits the free rotation of the vane and its associated music cylinder 22 by the action of the spring motor 21. The music box is now free to play until more food is placed upon the plate or until the motor runs down.

It will now be clear that there is provided a device which accomplishes the objectives heretofore set forth.

While the invention has been disclosed in its preferred form, it is to be understood that the specific embodiment thereof as described and illustrated herein is not to be considered in a limited sense as there may be other forms or modifications of v the invention which should also be construed tocome within thescope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A musical dish, comprising in combination, a hollow case member having a perimetri-c'al ri'rn defining a cavity for receiving the body of a flanged food receptacle, the bottom of said case being upset to define a compartment having a top wall parallel to and spaced downwardly of the perimetri-cal rim; a control plunger journaled insaid top wall and slid able vertically therethrough into the compartment; a Swiss-music-box mechanism, of the type having a rotating vane governor, mounted in the compartment on the underside of the top wall immediately below the plunger with the; field of rotation of the governor vane lying in the line of travel of the control plunger; the said plunger being slidable through. the top wall between a first position wherein itis clear of the field of rotation of the governor vane, and a second position wherein iLlies within said field of rotation there.- by rendering the mechanism inoperative; spring means associated with the plunger, acting to normally bias it to its first position; and a flanged food receptacle tiltably nested within the case member cavity with its flange edge resting on the case rim and its body supported by the said plunger, the weight of the .empty food receptacle being less than that required' to move the control plunger out of its first positionagainst the biasing action of the spring means, the said plunger being movable to its second position when the biasing force of the spring means is overbal anced by the Weight offood cont'ained in the so supported food receptacle.v

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

